The 4-H USDA Robotics Digital Badges initiative is a collaborative badging effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 4-H National Headquarters/USDA, and Auburn University. Over the course of badge system development, Auburn University focused on the project’s technical side, while University of Nebraska-Lincoln played a role in developing assessments and curriculum. 4-H described, “The Nebraska faculty has developed an outstanding suite of robotics learning experiences supported through almost $5 million in grants from the National Science Foundation (#ESI-0624591 and DRL-0833403), the NASA Summer of Innovation, and 4-H. These learning experiences will serve as the core content for the 4-H Robotics digital badging system for youth ages 9 to 18.

Intel and the Society for Science and the Public (SSP) partnered together in an effort to design a badge system that would recognize the accomplishments of middle and high school students worldwide. Specifically, the project awards badges to students for their achievements in scientific research and participation in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) and Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) educational programs.

Preface The information contained in this project appendix was gathered from the original project proposal that was funded in 2012 and interviews with project leaders through the end of 2014. This appendix and the overall design principles database from the…

Microsoft developed a badge system for the Partners in Learning Network (PiLN) of educators and school leaders to promote technological competencies and relevant skills in today’s digital age. A worldwide initiative, the Microsoft Partners in Learning organization aims to equip educators with the capacity to teach information & communications technology (ICT) and 21st century skills. They argued, “The abundance of knowledge, resources, and accessibility to information available today requires a different approach from the generic one-size fits all engagement models of the past” (DML Stage 1 Proposal). Given rapid technological advancement, the project built a system of recognition and assessment to assist educators in their professional development. The project envisioned the construction of a badge system to recognize educators for their abilities and accomplishments.

Preface The information contained in this project appendix was gathered from the original project proposal that was funded in 2012 and interviews with project leaders through the end of 2014. This appendix and the overall design principles database from the…

The Providence After School Alliance (PASA) partners with after school and extracurricular programs to offer quality learning experiences to middle and high school students. In their DML Proposal, PASA described their mission “to expand and improve quality afterschool, summer, and other expanded learning opportunities for the youth of Providence by organizing a sustainable public/private system that contributes to student success and serves as a national model” (Stage 1 DML Proposal). Specifically, PASA supports the operations and infrastructure of the local AfterZone network of organizations that administer learning experiences to middle school student and a similar network of organizations offering programs to high schoolers that includes a social and discovery-based website called The Hub.

Student Reporting Labs is a educational program offered by PBS News Hour in which participating high school teachers offer their students the opportunity to write and record a story about their community with the chance of getting it broadcast on local or national television.

In a NASA-funded initiative, Project Whitecard Inc. collaborated with the Center for Educational Technologies (CET) at Wheeling Jesuit University to construct a badge system for middle to high school students with the goal of promoting skills and competence in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The project designed a badge system to build upon their existing programs of robotics-related educational projects and activities, offering a new way to recognize students for their skills and achievements.

Regardless of where you start, it’s more than likely you’ll end up somewhere other than your intended destination. That’s okay. Systems are living things, and your badge system needs to be flexible. You must embrace a bit of chaos in its design.
-Carla Casilli, Director of Design + Practice at the Badge Alliance